Inventors list

Assignees list

Classification tree browser

Top 100 Inventors

Top 100 Assignees


Dattalo, CA

Tracy S. Dattalo, Santa Clara, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080246735Tactile feedback for capacitive sensors - A tactile feedback apparatus for a capacitive sensing device is comprised of a dielectric insulator having a surface. A finger receiving recess is defined in the surface. The finger receiving recess is configured for receiving a deflected portion of a finger. The finger receiving recess is comprised of a finger deflecting feature and a tactile feedback feature. The finger deflecting feature is coupled to the surface and structured such that a variety of finger sizes pressed into the finger receiving recess would deflect into a predictable and repeatable shape for affecting the capacitive sensing device in a substantially uniform manner. The tactile feedback element is coupled to the surface and disposed such that the tactile feedback element contacts the deflected portion of the finger to provide tactile feedback to the finger only when the finger is sufficiently deflected into the finger receiving recess to actuate the capacitive sensing device.10-09-2008
20090033343Capacitive sensing apparatus that uses a combined guard and sensing electrode - A capacitive sensing apparatus includes capacitive sensor electrodes, and a combined guard and sensing electrode that is disposed proximate to the capacitive sensor electrodes. The combined guard and sensing electrode has at least a first operating mode and a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, the combined guard and sensing electrode can detect an object at a distance that is greater than the distance at which the object can be sensed by the capacitive sensor electrodes. In the second operating mode, the combined guard and sensing electrode can electrically guard the capacitive sensor electrodes.02-05-2009

Tracy Scott Dattalo, Santa Clara, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090107737MULTIPLE-SENSOR-ELECTRODE CAPACITIVE BUTTON - Methods for determining actuation of a capacitive button having at least three sensor electrode elements associated with at least three distinct sensor electrodes are described. In one embodiment, indicia from the at least three distinct sensor electrodes associated with the at least three sensor electrode elements comprising the capacitive button are received. At least three electrode values are generated from the indicia. The at least three electrode values are then utilized to determine actuation of the capacitive button.04-30-2009
20090128374DETERMINING ACTUATION OF MULTI-SENSOR-ELECTRODE CAPACITIVE BUTTONS - Methods for determining actuation of a capacitive button are described. In some embodiments, indicia from the at least three distinct sensor electrodes associated with at least three sensor electrode elements comprising the capacitive button are received, the indicia indicative of interaction of an input object with the at least three distinct sensor electrodes. The actuation of the capacitive button is then determined, based at least in part on satisfying a set of criteria comprising: a location condition concerning a location of the input object relative to a center of the capacitive button, and a coupling condition concerning a change in capacitive coupling of the at least three distinct sensor electrodes associated with the at least three sensor electrode elements comprising the capacitive button.05-21-2009
20090174675LOCATING MULTIPLE OBJECTS ON A CAPACITIVE TOUCH PAD - A system and method for locating multiple objects on a capacitive touch pad is described. The method for determining locations of a plurality of objects contemporaneously interacting with a capacitive touch pad having a sensing region includes generating a first capacitive profile associated with a first object and a second object contemporaneously in the sensing region and determining locations of the first and second objects with respect to the sensing region utilizing the first capacitive profile.07-09-2009
20090314105BALANCED RESISTANCE CAPACITIVE SENSING APPARATUS - Embodiments for a capacitive sensing apparatus with attenuated electrical interference across a plurality of routing traces are provided. One embodiment forms a first sensor electrode on a substrate. In addition, a first routing trace is formed on the substrate, the first routing trace coupled with the first sensor electrode. One embodiment additionally forms a second sensor electrode on the substrate. A second routing trace differing in length from the first routing trace is also formed on the substrate, the second routing trace coupled with the second sensor electrode. To attenuate electrical interference, the second routing trace is formed having an approximately equal RC time constant characteristic as the first routing trace.12-24-2009
20100289503EXTENDED PROXIMITY SENSOR DEVICE WITH ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PROTECTION - An input device is provided with improved electrostatic discharge protection. Specifically, the input device includes a plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes configured for object detection. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) shunt is disposed near the capacitive sensing electrodes and configured to provide ESD protection to the capacitive sensing electrodes. The input device also includes an extended-proximity capacitive sensing electrode configured to for object detection of relatively distant objects. The ESD shunt has an associated first resistance, and the extended-proximity capacitive sensing electrode has an associated second resistance. The second resistance is greater than the first resistance such that an electrostatic discharge at a first exposed location would be attracted to the ESD shunt via a first potential discharge path instead of being attracted to the extended-proximity capacitive sensing electrode via a second potential discharge path, where the first discharge path is longer than the second discharge path.11-18-2010
20110148436SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A NUMBER OF OBJECTS IN A CAPACITIVE SENSING REGION USING SIGNAL GROUPING - An input device and method are provided that facilitate improved usability. The input device comprises an array of capacitive sensing electrodes and a processing system. The processing system is configured to receive sensing signals from the capacitive sensing electrodes and generate a plurality of sensing values, each of the plurality of sensing values corresponding to a sensing electrode in the first array of capacitive sensing electrodes. The processing system is further configured to produce a plurality of positional values corresponding to a plurality of groups of electrodes in the first array of capacitive sensing electrodes; analyze the plurality of positional values to determine if one or more clusters exist in the plurality of positional values; and determine a number of objects in the sensing region from the determined one or more clusters in the plurality of positional values.06-23-2011
20110148438SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A NUMBER OF OBJECTS IN A CAPACITIVE SENSING REGION USING A SHAPE FACTOR - An input device and method are provided that facilitate improved usability. The input device comprises an array of capacitive sensing electrodes and a processing system. The processing system is configured to receive sensing signals from the capacitive sensing electrodes and generate a plurality of sensing values. The processing system is further configured to calculate a sensing profile from the sensing values, calculate a profile span from the sensing values, and determine a shape factor from the sensing profile and the profile span. Finally, the processing system is configured to determine a number of objects in the sensing region from the determined shape factor. Thus, the sensor device facilitates the determination of the number of objects in the sensing region.06-23-2011

Patent applications by Tracy Scott Dattalo, Santa Clara, CA US